Electrical connector for adjustable refrigerator shelf

• US 9,705,210 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2016
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Kerner, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilman, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US15/256,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20160372844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 312 Days
• Field of Search: 439115, 439839, 439 92, 439 79, 312408, 362 92
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/027 Cantilever shelves
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/00 General constructional features F25D21/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/067 Supporting elements
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2325/021 Shelves with several possible configurations
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/40 Refrigerating devices characterised by electrical wiring
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/02 by shelves
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/024 Slidable shelves
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/028 Cooled supporting means
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 27/00 Lighting arrangements in general F21
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 27/005 combined with control means
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/701 the switch being actuated by an accessory, e.g. cover, locking member
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/703 operated by engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. dual-continuity coupling partH01R13/71 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/162 Electrical connections between or with rails or bus-bars rails having primarily a non electrical function H01R4/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/64 Connections between or with conductive parts having primarily a non-electric function, e.g. frame, casing, rail
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors of trolley lines B60M1/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/26 for engaging or disengaging the two parts of a coupling device structural association with two-part coupling device H01R13/629
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein, a shelf ladder disposed in the temperature-controlled compartment and providing a plurality of shelf mounting positions, an electrical connector corresponding to each of the plurality of shelf mounting positions, wherein each of the electrical connectors comprises an actuator movable from a first position to a second position and an electrical contact configured to automatically move from a disengaged position to an engaged position in response to the actuator moving from the first position to the second position, and an adjustable shelf removably mountable in one of the plurality of shelf mounting positions such that the actuator of the corresponding electrical connector is held in the second position by a weight of the adjustable shelf and the electrical contact of the corresponding electrical connector engages the adjustable shelf.

Claims

1. A refrigerator appliance comprising:

a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein;

a shelf ladder disposed in the temperature-controlled compartment and providing a plurality of shelf mounting positions;

an electrical connector coupled to the shelf ladder, the electrical connector comprising;

a first lever hingedly coupled to the electrical connector and having a contact end and a medial end, the first lever further comprising an electrical contact;

a second lever hingedly coupled to the electrical connector and having a lateral end and a medial end, wherein the medial end of the second lever is slidably coupled to the medial end of the first lever; and

a resilient member in contact with at least one of the first lever and the second lever, and configured to bias the first lever and the second lever in a disengaged position;

an adjustable shelf comprising a bracket with an upper tab and a lower tab, the lower tab further comprising an electrical conductor, the adjustable shelf removably mountable in one of the plurality of shelf mounting positions;

wherein the lower tab is configured to interface with the second lever such that the lower tab forces the second lever and the first lever into an engaged position such that the electrical contact is electrically coupled to the electrical conductor.

2. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, wherein the resilient member is in contact with the second lever.

3. The refrigerator appliance of claim 2, wherein the resilient member is fixedly attached to the electrical connector.

4. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, wherein the resilient member is a helical spring.

5. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, wherein a first surface of the lower tab is configured to interface with the second lever and a second surface of the lower tab that is configured to interface with the electrical conductor are perpendicular to one another.

6. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, wherein the lower tab of the mounting bracket includes at least two electrical contacts configured to interface with at least two electrical conductors on the second lever.

7. An electrical connector for an adjustable refrigerator shelf, the electrical connector comprising:

a first lever having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first lever being movable from a first position to a second position when a mounting bracket of the adjustable refrigerator shelf engages the first lever;

a second lever having a first section and a second section disposed at an angle to the first section, the second lever being movable from a disengaged position to an engaged position in which a first electrical contact carried by the second section engages the mounting bracket to supply power to the adjustable refrigerator shelf; and

a resilient member that biases at least one of the first lever and the second lever toward the first position;

wherein the first end of the first lever is coupled to the first section of the second lever such that movement of the first lever from the first position to the second position causes movement of the second lever from the disengaged position to the engaged position.

8. The electrical connector of claim 7, further wherein the resilient member biases the first lever toward the first position.

9. The electrical connector of claim 7, wherein the first end of the first lever includes a protrusion extending therefrom which engages a track formed in the first section of the second lever.

10. The electrical connector of claim 7, wherein:

a housing supporting the electrical connector is coupled to a shelf ladder having a slot formed therein; and

the first electrical contact carried by the second section of the second lever is configured to interface with a first conductor carried by a tab of the mounting bracket that extends through the slot when the mounting bracket is cantilevered on the shelf ladder.

11. The electrical connector of claim 10, further comprising a second electrical contact carried by the second section of the second lever, the second electrical contact being configured to interface with a second conductor carried by the tab when the mounting bracket is cantilevered on the shelf ladder.

12. The electrical connector of claim 11, wherein the first and second electrical contacts are configured to supply power to the adjustable refrigerator shelf at different current levels.

13. The electrical connector of claim 10, wherein:

the first lever is pivotably coupled to the housing at the second end of the first lever; and

the second lever is pivotably coupled to the housing at a location where the first and second sections of the second lever meet.

14. A method comprising:

removably mounting an adjustable shelf in a temperature-controlled compartment of a refrigerator such that a weight of the adjustable shelf rests against a first lever disposed in the refrigerator, wherein the weight of the adjustable shelf causes the first lever to move from a first position to a second position;

automatically moving a second lever that is slidably engaged with the first lever from a first position to a second position in response to the first lever moving from a first position to a second position;

automatically moving an electrical contact disposed on the second lever from a disengaged position to an engaged position in response to the second lever moving from the first position to the second position, wherein the electrical contact supplies power to the adjustable shelf when in the engaged position;

removing the weight of the adjustable shelf from the first lever such that the first lever and the second lever move from the second position to the first position under the influence of a resilient member that biases at least one of the first lever and the second lever toward the first position.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein removably mounting the adjustable shelf in the temperature-controlled compartment of the refrigerator comprises cantilevering a mounting bracket of the adjustable shelf on a shelf ladder disposed in the temperature-controlled compartment, the first lever and the second lever being disposed behind the shelf ladder.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein cantilevering the mounting bracket of the adjustable shelf on the shelf ladder causes a tab of the mounting bracket to extend through a slot formed in the shelf ladder and to engage the first lever.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a first surface of the tab that is configured to engage the first lever and a second surface of the tab that is configured to interface with the electrical contact when in the engaged position are perpendicular to one another.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein automatically moving the electrical contact from the disengaged position to the engaged position comprises pivoting the second lever carrying the electrical contact.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising automatically moving an additional electrical contact from the disengaged position to the engaged position in response to the second lever moving from the first position to the second position, wherein the additional electrical contact supplies power to the adjustable shelf when in the engaged position, the electrical contact and the additional electrical contact supplying power at different current levels.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

automatically moving the electrical contact from the engaged position to the disengaged position in response to the second lever moving from the second position to the first position, wherein the electrical contact remains clear of the adjustable shelf when in the disengaged position.